YEAH finally found someone to do a fill close by - sort of

[mona-camille]

Susan Brinkley that I heard so much about. For $200.00. I go next wednesday at 11:30. It's a 3 hour drive for me, but

much cheaper than Mexico. She too indicated that the VG band required more fills and more often. So, at least I feel sort of validated now. I'd much prefer to go back to Mexico, but just can't afford it anymore.

She is near Gettysburg by the PA/MD border for anyone interested.

Is it IWANTBANDED or BANDEDFORLIFE, I forget which one, wanted to know what info I could find out. Darlene, right? from central Pa. This might be an option for you too!! If I got your name wrong - I APOLOGIZE!!!!

New York University charges $100 a fill, but that is after your initial visit which is $770.00. So, MD is better. Not under fluro, but we'll give it a try and see how it goes. 3 hours isn't so far. I'd prefer fluro, but right now, I just want to get moving with this!!

[DiamondJim]

That is great. I know that I was excited when I found a local Dr. to do my fills. Instead of driving 190 miles to a fill center, this Dr. is about 50 miles from my house. I would love to go back to the OCC for my fills but, the time factor is what is stopping me from going to TJ for fills.

[mona-camille]

That is great. I know that I was excited when I found a local Dr. to do my fills. Instead of driving 190 miles to a fill center, this Dr. is about 50 miles from my house. I would love to go back to the OCC for my fills but, the time factor is what is stopping me from going to TJ for fills.

Yeah, I have used up an awful lot of vacation from work already with all my trips. I just love Tijuana though! I am not sure, but I still might be going back the end of August depending if my friend who is getting banded wants me to go.

[banded4life]

Congrats! Let us know how it goes!!!

[Sandy]

Is she listed with Fill Center USA? I would have to drive 5 hours to get to her but I haven't found any closer. I am in Western NY. How did you find her?

[Kimmy in MD]

Dr. Brinkley is not with Fill Centers USA. She is an internist, does a blind fill and it is $200. I have read a lot about her on the boards, that is how I found her too. I am going in the morning for my 1st fill. I will report back.

Here is the kicker, she has a lapband too. She was banded in Mexico too. Thinking she should really understand where we are coming from. She only does fills 1 day a week, Wednesdays. I have only heard rave reviews.

Kim

[mona-camille]

Is she listed with Fill Center USA? I would have to drive 5 hours to get to her but I haven't found any closer. I am in Western NY. How did you find her?

No, she isn't affiliates with Fill Centers USA, but she was banded in Mexico. She is a regular internal medicine doctor and one day a week she does just fills. Wednesdays only. Ihear about her from someone on the board here and lots of people recommend her.

You can go to Manhatten to the NYU, they willl take you on as a fill patient, but the first visit with a fill and fluro is $770 but all fills after that are just $100.00. Is that closer to you maybe?

[fat2nrml]

Susan Brinkley that I heard so much about. For $200.00. I go next wednesday at 11:30. It's a 3 hour drive for me, but

much cheaper than Mexico. She too indicated that the VG band required more fills and more often. So, at least I feel sort of validated now. I'd much prefer to go back to Mexico, but just can't afford it anymore.

She is near Gettysburg by the PA/MD border for anyone interested.

Is it IWANTBANDED or BANDEDFORLIFE, I forget which one, wanted to know what info I could find out. Darlene, right? from central Pa. This might be an option for you too!! If I got your name wrong - I APOLOGIZE!!!!

New York University charges $100 a fill, but that is after your initial visit which is $770.00. So, MD is better. Not under fluro, but we'll give it a try and see how it goes. 3 hours isn't so far. I'd prefer fluro, but right now, I just want to get moving with this!!

Thanks Mona!! [i used to be iwantbanded but changed to fat2nrml] You'll have to let us know how it goes!! :yes: That is close to me , I'd say about 3 to 4 hours... I'm a chicken driver though, so Hubby would have to take me. Beats the price of going back to TJ! Thanks again Mona, really appreciate the post

[Sandy]

No, NYU is actually farther away. I live about an hour south of rochester. My problem is I don't qualify for the surgery in the US so any doc I talked to won't do a fill either. Totally ticks me off. What do they do when one of their patients get to the weight I am?? Do they give up on them?

I really don't know what I am going to do about getting fills. I am stretching my family's finances as it is with the surgery and airfare out there the first time. I am much more stressed about getting fills than I am the surgery!

[Kimmy in MD]

First fill today with Dr. Susan Brinkley in Frederick Maryland.

My Thoughts:

She was great. Took time to talk to me and get to know me. As she did exam she told me I should see a dermatoligist about a mole on my stomach. To me this shows she is caring and looking out for us in more ways. She got my port on the first stick and put in 1.5 cc.

At the beginning of the appointment, she took my measurements (arms, thigh, hips, waist and bust) and a sort of before pic for my file. This was good, especially since I hadn't bothered to do any of that myself and it was not done in Mexico.

We talked about her banding experience. She lost 85 lbs with the band. She doesn't seem to be in this for the money but for a genuine desire to help others with their weight issues. We talked a little about how some American Docs want to do annual band tests, which she said was BS and just a way to generate income. She basically said, it the band is working and it is not broke, why test. Just run the risk of damaging it or something.

She was very concerned about nutrition and vitamins. Wanted to know if I was taking them, and if I was taking a B complex vitamin too. She said she really encourages me to start a B complex if I wasn't because it would help the most to eliminate carb cravings. She also spoke about biotin, which has been mentioned plenty of times on this board.

Finally, she takes the time to see what medications you are taking and if any of them will have an affect on the bands performance. I take birth control pills and she wanted to know if it was a "tri-phasil" pill. She suggested I get on a "mono-phasil" as the fluctuating progesterin in the pill does affect your body and may affect the band performance. I said, I could just go off the pill and she said, that kind of defeats it too because our bodies naturally fluctuate in progesterin during the monthly cycles we experience too.

A final interesting fact she brought up, which I had never heard before. If you weigh more than 200 lbs, you have to be careful which pill you take because the protection is drastically decreased. She said over 200 lbs and you need a 150 dose pill.

The only bad part of this experience is that I had to wait almost 2 hours in her office. The first hour was my own fault because I arrived early. I was hoping she would be able to take me sooner, but the other hour was her fault and I was not happy about this. I did nap in the waiting room on the couch though.

All in all a good experience and I have already scheduled for my next fill in August. She said I should cancel if I feel I don't need it.

Kim

[mona-camille]

First fill today with Dr. Susan Brinkley in Frederick Maryland.

My Thoughts:

She was great. Took time to talk to me and get to know me. As she did exam she told me I should see a dermatoligist about a mole on my stomach. To me this shows she is caring and looking out for us in more ways. She got my port on the first stick and put in 1.5 cc.

At the beginning of the appointment, she took my measurements (arms, thigh, hips, waist and bust) and a sort of before pic for my file. This was good, especially since I hadn't bothered to do any of that myself and it was not done in Mexico.

We talked about her banding experience. She lost 85 lbs with the band. She doesn't seem to be in this for the money but for a genuine desire to help others with their weight issues. We talked a little about how some American Docs want to do annual band tests, which she said was BS and just a way to generate income. She basically said, it the band is working and it is not broke, why test. Just run the risk of damaging it or something.

She was very concerned about nutrition and vitamins. Wanted to know if I was taking them, and if I was taking a B complex vitamin too. She said she really encourages me to start a B complex if I wasn't because it would help the most to eliminate carb cravings. She also spoke about biotin, which has been mentioned plenty of times on this board.

Finally, she takes the time to see what medications you are taking and if any of them will have an affect on the bands performance. I take birth control pills and she wanted to know if it was a "tri-phasil" pill. She suggested I get on a "mono-phasil" as the fluctuating progesterin in the pill does affect your body and may affect the band performance. I said, I could just go off the pill and she said, that kind of defeats it too because our bodies naturally fluctuate in progesterin during the monthly cycles we experience too.

A final interesting fact she brought up, which I had never heard before. If you weigh more than 200 lbs, you have to be careful which pill you take because the protection is drastically decreased. She said over 200 lbs and you need a 150 dose pill.

The only bad part of this experience is that I had to wait almost 2 hours in her office. The first hour was my own fault because I arrived early. I was hoping she would be able to take me sooner, but the other hour was her fault and I was not happy about this. I did nap in the waiting room on the couch though.

All in all a good experience and I have already scheduled for my next fill in August. She said I should cancel if I feel I don't need it.

Kim

Thank you for all this good info. She does sound very caring. I would be unhappy about waiting too. Hey, if I need another fill in August, maybe be can make it the same day and meet up for lunch. Oh, soup, I mean.

[Kimmy in MD]

Mona,

I am scheduled for 8/13 @ 1:00, see if you can get around that time. Would love to meet up and slurp soup!

Kim

[fat2nrml]

Thanks for posting your experiance Kim! I go back to TJ on the 29th for my second fill and if I need another, I may consider Dr. Susan. What did she do that you had to wait an hour? I can understand 20 min., but an hour? Hopefully she doesn't do that all the time??!!

[Kimmy in MD]

not sure what was going on, but I know she was with another patient. For privacy issues, not much was discussed, but she apologized and when I was leaving the receptionist also apologized and said it was unusual for that to happen.

Kim